MILWAUKEE – Today, Monday, Oct. 11, marks Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which honors and celebrates the history and culture of Indigenous communities in the United States. Wisconsin is home to members of 11 federally recognized tribes.
“Indigenous Peoples have contributed so much to Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin,” said Supervisor John F. Weishan, Jr. “This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I would like to give a special thank you to the parents, students, and faculty of the Indian Community School in Franklin for their work to make today an official holiday.”
President Joseph R. Biden proclaimed today Indigenous Peoples’ Day, becoming the first U.S. President to formally recognize the day.
Governor Tony Evers today signed Executive Order #136, which issues a formal acknowledgement and apology for Wisconsin’s role in Indian boarding schools.
The idea of Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of native nations to the United Nations-sponsored International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas.
Supervisor Weishan authored a resolution in 2016 recognizing the second Monday of October every year as Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
